Salvation Army NJ Continues Holiday Tradition [AUDIO]

You know that Christmas time is approaching when Salvation Army Red Kettles are out in full force.

Salvation Army New Jersey has been helping the less fortunate in the Garden State since 1880 by providing assistance with services, such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelter, and even rental assistance.

“Whatever the community need, the salvation army tries to fit a program and service to fit that need,” says Major Vicky Berry, Associate Commander of Salvation Army NJ.

The organization has 28 building centers throughout New Jersey, with 127 smaller settings.

In 2010, Salvation Army New Jersey assisted close to 400,000 individuals, while serving almost 2 million meals.

The charity is reliant on donations and volunteers to keep the operation humming.

“We are just grateful for those who step forward and share what they have with those who are less fortunate,” Berry explains.

While the Red Kettles are notoriously linked to Salvation Army, it’s just one piece of their puzzle. A unique aspect of Salvation Army is their allowances of letting donors choose which program they would like their money to go to.

“Most people at Christmastime are just generally interested in sharing with those who are less fortunate,” Berry says.

The Red Kettle donations go to purchasing holiday presents, and funding other December events. In 2010, close to 120,000 were helped during the month of December.

The combination of donations and volunteers during the Red Kettle campaign are key to the rest of their year financially.

“The volunteers help us to keep the contributions that the public is giving to the Salvation Army helpful throughout the year.”